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Apple Fritter Cake combines the ease of a one-bowl cake with all the delicious flavor of Apple Fritters! This cake comes together easily with no mixer, and is studded with spiced, caramelized apples throughout the cake and on top. It’s drenched in a luscious apple cider glaze that enhances the apple flavor even more!
Why you’ll love this Apple Fritter Cake:
- Easy, One-Bowl Cake – This simple cake comes together in one bowl with no mixer!
- Double the Caramelized Apples – A layer of spiced, caramelized apples runs through the center of the cake, and another layer covers the top!
- Apple Cider Glaze – The cake is topped with a luscious apple cider glaze (or you can opt for maple flavor!)
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temp.
- Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream, at room temp.
- Milk – I used 2% milk, at room temperature.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour.
- Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract.
- Fresh Apples – Use a firm apple here – any apple that’s good for baking will work! I personally like honeycrisp the best. Don’t use McIntosh – they’re too soft and aren’t a good baking apple – save them for homemade applesauce!
- Boiled Apple Cider – You can purchase boiled cider online (or possibly at a local orchard – try calling ahead to see if they carry it). Just be sure the only ingredient is apple cider. If you can’t get your hands on this, you can make your own by reducing down apple cider (see my post on Caramel Apple Cider Cookies for how to do this), or you can simply use a few tablespoons of plain apple cider but the flavor will not be as strong. Do not use apple cider vinegar – this is, as the name implies, vinegar and not the same as the apple cider you’d drink.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Sour Cream – Full fat greek yogurt works in place of the sour cream in a pinch.
- Other Fruits – Try my Blueberry Coffee Cake (same base recipe!) if you’d like a similar, simple cake that uses blueberries and has crumble on top.
How to Make this Apple Fritter Cake Recipe:
Step 1: Make the Caramelized Apples. Peel and dice your fresh apples into small pieces, and cook them in a large saucepan over medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes, with butter, brown sugar, and spices. Use a cornstarch slurry to gently thicken the filling.
Step 2: Make the Cake Batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, then fold in the dry ingredients and milk.
Step 3: Assemble & Bake. Layer half the cake batter, half the apples, the remaining cake batter, then the remaining apples in a 9-inch springform pan. Bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Step 4: Make the Glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, apple cider, a splash of water, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour this over the warm cake.
Serving + Storing:
Enjoy the cake after it’s cooled for about 20-30 minutes, or let it cool completely to room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for a day or so, or in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
I think you could halve it and bake it in a 6-inch round cake pan. Start with 15-20 minutes for your bake time and add time from there until done.
Yes, you can use a square 9×9 baking dish instead of the springform pan. Bake time will be similar.
Special Tools:
- Springform Pan – A springform pan is the easiest way to bake and serve this recipe, because of the releasing sides and extra depth.
More Apple Recipes to Love:
- Apple Pie Cupcakes
- Caramel Apple Cake
- Apple Pie Cheesecake
- Apple Fritters with Apple Cider Glaze
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Caramel Apple Crumb Cake
- Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Apple Fritter Cake
Ingredients
For the Apples
- 4 large honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced, 665 grams after being peeled & cored
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar , 75 grams
- 2 tbsp salted butter, 28 grams
- 1 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp clovces
- 1 tbsp boiled apple cider, or regular apple cider (see note below)
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp water
For the Cake
- 1/3 cup salted butter, melted, 75 g
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 58 mL
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 105 g
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed, 85 g
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature , 80 g
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, 230 g
- 2 tsp baking powder, 7 g
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 and 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup milk, 120 mL
Apple Cider Glaze
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar , 29 grams
- 2-3 tbsp boiled apple cider, See recipe note
- 1 tbsp water, if needed to thin the glaze
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place a piece of parchment paper across the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and then secure the sides. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick spray.
- Make the Apple Filling & Topping: Add all the apple filling ingredients except the corn starch & water to a medium/large saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring for about 8-10 minutes – or until the apples are tender and the mixture has caramelized. Stir together cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved, and stir into the apples over medium high heat. Cook for 1 minute or so until the juices thicken up. Remove from heat and set aside.4 large honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced, 1/3 cup dark brown sugar , 2 tbsp salted butter, 1 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp clovces, 1 tbsp boiled apple cider, 1 tsp corn starch, 1 tsp water
- Make the Cake Batter: Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the vegetable oil, then the sugars, and then the eggs. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and gently fold in with a spatula until halfway combined, then pour in the milk and continue folding everything together until just combined.1/3 cup salted butter, melted, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed, 2 large eggs, at room temperature , 1/3 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature , 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract , 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 and 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Assemble the Cake: Spread half the batter in your prepared pan. Add half the apples in an even layer. Spread on the remaining batter, and repeat with the remaining apples.
- Bake: Bake the cake for 46 to 52 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have moist crumbs – not wet batter. Make the glaze here (see step below). Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then release the sides and drizzle on the glaze. Place the cake on a cooling rack to cool for 30-40 more minutes before slicing and serving.
- Make the Glaze: Whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth.3/4 cup powdered sugar , 1 tbsp water, if needed to thin the glaze, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract , 2-3 tbsp boiled apple cider
- Serve + Store: Release the sides of the springform pan and let cake cool about 20-30 minutes before pouring the glaze on. Slice and enjoy! Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. (It can stay at room temperature if you left off the glaze.)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so freaking good everybody loved it!! Will be making this again, love ur recipes!! <3
So glad to hear this, Ivanna!
For the cake, could I substitute the sour cream for ricotta?
Hi Sara! I have never tried substituting ricotta for sour cream, so I can’t say for sure. I’m sorry! I don’t want to advise you on something that may cause the recipe to not turn out properly. Let me know if you do decide to try it!
Good i will test it
Thanks, Hadia!
Can this be made without the apple cider? Not a fan of apple cider.
Hi Barb! Yes, you can use milk or water in the glaze instead. Let me know how you like the recipe!
Forgot to mention – you can use 1/2 tsp lemon juice in the apples in place of the 1 tbsp of apple cider. For the glaze, use 2-3 tbsp milk or water. Happy baking!